1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to the field of data processing. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for performing entropy processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lookup table is commonly used in decoding variable length codes (VLC) such as a Huffman VLC. A parallel decoder can speed up the decoding process since parallel decoders can decode several bits in each cycle. However, since Huffman variable length codes have variable lengths, redundant nodes are stored in the lookup table to enable decoding multiple bits in each cycle. A lookup table with redundant nodes does not efficiently use memory. The lookup table for a serial decoder is more efficient in terms of memory usage since there are less redundant nodes. However, the serial decoder is slower than the parallel decoder since serial decoding decodes only one bit in each cycle.
What is needed is a method to more efficiently perform entropy processing while more efficiently using memory.